"I'm alright now so, let's see the young genius mage's gift~!"
She definitely wasn't fully recovered from the effects of that smell from a moment ago.
'I could have never thought it could be this bad for someone...'
It was new knowledge so I will have to be more careful from now on.
I had made many things and many weird potions with weird effects in our tower lab, but even the analyzing equipment there couldn't tell that the things that I made could be fatal to some particular species or people.
I will have to be careful with this one from now, but for now, she definitely had recovered a lot, so it was alright.
I looked at the big heavy wooden box and the letter stick on it.
We knew it was from dad from the start but, well, before opening the letter, we opened the gift box.
The box was definitely ordinary. Nothing like some other boxes I had received as a gift today.
I was excited and without much thinking; I opened the box, and... saw a big crystal ball on a finely wrapped purple cushion.
"Nice... you didn't have one of these, right?"
Rein had a pleased expression while looking at this normal-looking crystal ball. Well... I had an idea of what this could be.
"What is this...?"
And on this question, she looked at me with first surprise, then confusion, and then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she made an understanding expression and nodded.
"Right. You were living in a deep forest not long ago.
So, my dear Eon darling, this simple-looking crystal ball is called [Maginet].
It's costly, but it's a tool many 'special' rich kids and adults have these days.
You do know about the communication devices, right? This one is like a tool that connects you with a cobweb of countless connections where people share news, different research materials, and even rare information.
There are information guilds and even special people you can commission for different things there.
They only deal in the information or a special currency in this place, but there are a lot of free materials, news outlets that publish news faster than anyone, and even some special games that people play to earn the special currency.
They call the currency wisdom coin <W>. But it is very difficult to earn for normal people who have this thing.
The games are super difficult to play and almost impossible to clear while the information network of guilds is so strong that an individual could never earn through that means.
Even I barely have nine of those <W> coins.
I don't need it so I don't use it this much and Carla too, but Alf is crazy about that thing.
I thought you knew about your mom's dealings and Alf's favorite game?"
'Of course I knew about these things. I was asking what this cool purple fabric is... well, whatever.'
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe explained all that with a great smile on her face, as if telling me something I didn't know about for the first time.
She was feeling unwell a moment before, but now she was in a good mood. It was better for her to be this way.
But this thing sure was interesting...
"The concept is just like the internet while this thing is totally a PC..."
"Hmm? What's that?"
"Maybe something a bit more complex and special than this one? Well, it connected people of all continents, space, and even different planets in my previous life, while this one only works here on the western continent, right?"
"Hmm? No? This one also connects to all continents, space, and planets. You see, this one you got from Alf is a bit special.
The general public, I mean the normal aristocrats, knows about the Maginet but even they only know the basic stuff as it could connect with the whole of the empire or continent.
Only the royal families of each nation and high-standing people of the island of magic's wealth could have this special one that actually connects to all the available regions on earth, Dwarinon, Elenor, Bairian, Titen, and other small planets with creatures with high intelligence.
That purple cushion under it proves its higher rank."
'Now that's something that I didn't know...'
The planets she mentioned were the main places where the main habitats of races of this planet, aside from humans, resided.
It was strange how there were intergalactic species and even that intergalactic travel was possible to a certain extent, but it was true.
And if this thing connected those all planets with the earth, something more than I had ever imagined. This thing gave access to that, so yes... this was definitely something I could have never imagined.
This was an amazing gift and just the fact that I didn't know about this thing, this special version of the maginet, spoke the greatness of the gift.
I didn't know just how he got this, but this gift was definitely something I would love to use frequently.
And I was excited to see those difficult games she talked about.
A smile appeared on my face. A warm smile... and it was pleasing for her to see me like this.
This was an amazing gift that I might not even have the time to use because of my countless tasks.
In any case... I loved this gift~.
"He's amazing, right? The oldies of academy island favor him too. Maybe he asked for this from them.
They are wicked, but I know he is super wise to use them as he wishes."
She was genuinely surprised how someone not part of the royal family can easily have access to such valuable things.
And giving it as a gift was even more absurd, but... after seeing all those things, I believed she was used to these absurd things.
She was smiling with a bitter-sweet expression and I just patted the head of my dear one.
She was startled by the sudden head pat but, as always, she just loved my hand on her head.
Storing the box with the special Maginet, I looked at my dear poor dad's letter...
It was no one's fault that I found his gift first. But, well, I knew how my great dada would be feeling right now.
Anna must be having a hard time because of me, but I could only read his letter and open his gift box with a smiling face.
But before that... the letter.
"let's see..."
We opened the envelope and looked at the letter we got with this heavy box.
[Eon~! My lovely boy Eon~!
Happy birthday, brave son...
Do you know just how blessed I feel whenever I look at you?
To have a son like you… an amazing son that is just awesome in whatever he does.
I know you might have read a few letters like this one by the time you get mine, but I know you won't be able to find the spicy, flavourful gift I have prepared for you~.
Maybe you will find it, but by that time, I think it will be a little late, so you will have even more difficulty finding your mom's gift... or more like getting over the absurdity of 'that' thing.
Anyway, I'm the most blessed dad to have not only you but also the best daughter in this whole world~.
I remember those days when you were just a newborn. The newborn who had the same eyes as an adult.
The eyes of a newborn that looked similar to mine but were far purer than mine.
Pure, fearless, eyes that had great joy and a mystery that couldn't be deciphered.
They were different from mine, which had already seen the greater darkness of the world. The eyes that had seen the lawlessness, corruption, and darkness of the world and lived with it.
Your mom was my light in that darkness, but I always hoped you wouldn't have to suffer through that kind of pain…ever.
But... I failed that.
I know you will say I haven't, but I know I have at the very least failed that dad who only wished for the joys of his young child.
I let that filthy thing take you away.
You were taken away from us in those days and... I was... helpless once again.
But your mom supported me. The promise you asked from your mom saved me from going into that darkness again. Anna took care of me and you... shielded me.
I don't know if I would have been able to survive what you have and come back like this, but at least... you did.
You came back and proved to me that you were far different from this incompetent father of yours.
You had eyes different from all of us when you came back... eyes that were your own and eyes that reflected your own unique journey.
I was confused when I first observed those eyes that had seen far more than any child your age should have.
I thought I was looking at the eyes of some wise one, someone who had deciphered countless truths of the world, someone who had experienced countless hardships of the world and overcome many of nature's trials.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmI know it must have been difficult... all because of this bad dad...
But, maybe, that was what fate had decided.
You met your master and experienced something that you could have never experienced in your entire life.
You gained far more from that journey than maybe your whole life with me and now… you are already above many of us in terms of pure knowledge, only lacking the main strengths and experience.
I know you will naturally gain those things with time and become stronger than anyone, and walk your own path.
You have also already found your light, so I know you're reading this one, Elle... take care of my dear son when he does something foolish.
He definitely will do many foolish things. I know that he will.
His mom and I both were the same, so I know he will definitely do bigger and worse things than your normal small blunders.
And from how his wisdom, talent, and knowledge are, I know the problems he will try to knowingly create for the sake of all of us will be on the grand level of maybe some city, kingdom, or worse, on the level of the whole empire.
He will definitely handle your small mistakes and foolishness, thinking most of the things you do are cute, but... just take care of him when he tries to do the bigger things.
I would hope you would never have to face anything like that or do things like that, but I know it is inevitable at this point, so... just take care of each other.
I'm here for both of you. Always…
And just like me, everyone else is also here, so don't ever worry, even if you are in really difficult situations. ]
"It's inevitable..."
"Maybe... yes. But we don't know tomorrow, right?"
We both sighed after his unique letter and smiled bitterly at each other.
I was expecting some words speaking something inevitable from him from the start.
He was just like this. A forever helpless but always loving father.
We both don't know what awaited us in the future, but we definitely believed it would be something... that we can handle.
Well, anyway... this was too heavy to think too deeply about.
I just stored his letter after caressing his words and took out the blue gift box that I found in the kitchen's spice section.
It was a normal square box, and it wasn't that big, but it was big enough to fit cute Clover inside it.
Maybe the mini Taika too, but she was big even when she was small, so this one wasn't that big.
It was smaller than Alf's big crystal ball box. So... my dear dad... what was there in this box?
I opened the box and saw something... special?
"A book?"
Very special, actually.
"No... it's a dairy. His diary..."